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Why is West Virginia Unranked in the Preseason Top 25?

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Why is West Virginia Unranked in the Preseason Top 25?


Monday afternoon, the AP Top 25 released its first batch of rankings for the 2024 college football season. And as you would probably guess, the West Virginia Mountaineers were not included. They did, however, receive 17 votes.

It’s not all that shocking that WVU continues to get overlooked heading into this season, but why does it keep happening?

For one, many voters probably look at last season as an anomaly. When you look at WVU’s strength of schedule heading into last year, it didn’t appear very favorable. By season’s end, everyone viewed it as a soft schedule. On top of that, this year’s schedule, on paper at least, looks way more challenging with WVU’s first five Big 12 games coming against teams picked to finish ahead of them.

I hate to be this harsh about it, but it’s the truth…some of these voters put very little time into submitting their rankings and just go with what they’ve seen and heard rather than doing their own research to justify why certain teams are in as opposed to others.

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The biggest misconception I continue to see with this team is that the defense is going to be what holds this team back. They just see how many new players are projected to start and think this isn’t an experienced group when in reality it is. They brought in two rock-solid veteran corners in Ayden Garnes and Garnett Hollis Jr., added a freakish athlete of a pass rusher in Ty French, added depth in the front seven with DL TJ Jackson and LB Reid Carrico, and a handful of others in the secondary.

Many of these voters probably don’t realize that linebacker Josiah Trotter was expected to play a bunch and potentially start as a true freshman before he was lost with a knee injury. The coaches view him as a starter, and they should. Fellow linebacker Trey Lathan led the team in QB hits despite playing in just four games. And because of Lathan’s absence, Ben Cutter was able to step in and gain a ton of experience.

All offseason long, this West Virginia team has been overlooked and undervalued. Head coach Neal Brown spoke on this last week when asked about receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.

“If you just look at our resume and how we finished the year, the number of quality wins we had a year ago and what we have coming back on both sides of the ball…with a convincing bowl win, year to year if you just put blind resumes up, that resume is going to get in the top 25. With nine wins in a Power Four conference with a bowl win, and with the returning experience. So what gives? I don’t know. To me, it goes back to some of our better players and I’ve said this on repeat but some of our better players are being undervalued, especially Garrett Greene. You have to go prove them.”

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

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Predicting Every Game on WVU Football’s 2024 Schedule (Projected Bowl Included)

Preseason Big 12 Power Rankings + Record Predictions



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Virginia

Honking on the highway: Family of geese escorted off I-66 in Virginia

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Honking on the highway: Family of geese escorted off I-66 in Virginia


Those honks you heard on I-66? They weren’t from cars.

Police officers in Northern Virginia herded a family of Canada geese off the highway Thursday afternoon, as lanes were shut down to keep everyone safe.

The geese were spotted on I-66 westbound near the exit for Sycamore Street. Metro Transit Police got to them first, and Arlington County officers and Virginia State Police also responded to help, acording to Arlington County Police.

Video shows police vehicles slowly following the geese — two adults with a cluster of fuzzy yellow goslings — as they waddled along the far right shoulder toward milemarker 69.6.

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Lane closures were put into effect about 1:30 p.m., and police were able to escort the geese off the highway within about 15 minutes.

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County police quipped on Facebook: “What’s good for the goose…is probably to stay of I-66. 🪿 Virginia State Police , Metro Forward Police Department, Virginia Department of Transportation and ACPD officers worked together to assist a family of geese off a busy highway in a feat so great it gave us goosebumps!”



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More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth $1M seized in Bristol, Virginia State Police says

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More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth M seized in Bristol, Virginia State Police says


More than 300 pounds of marijuana worth more than $1 million were seized this month in Bristol, according to the Virginia State Police.

Multiple search warrants were executed this month by VSP and the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force in at various areas across the city between May 1 and May 13.

On May 1, a search warrant was executed at a business on Euclid Avenue. Around three pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $13,500. The location was within a school zone and a childcare facility.

On May 6, another search warrant was executed at a warehouse in Bristol. Virginia State Police seized 250 pounds of marijuana (street value of $1,135,000), 192 marijuana plants ($576,000), 50 pounds of THC edibles ($22,700). Charges are forthcoming, police said.

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Another search warrant was executed on May 13 at a business on West State Street. Around 25 pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $112,500. Additional evidence was also seized.

In addition, another search warrant was executed on May 13 at a business on Paulena Drive. About 30 pounds of marijuana was seized with a street value of $135,000. Additional evidence was also seized.

The Office of the Attorney General is reviewing the investigation for any possible applicable civil enforcement actions.

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The Holston River Regional Drug Task Force includes the Town of Abingdon Police Department, Bristol Police Department, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Town of Lebanon Police Department, as well as Virginia State Police.



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Va. governor concerned redistricting battle could make voters reluctant to cast ballot this fall – WTOP News

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Va. governor concerned redistricting battle could make voters reluctant to cast ballot this fall – WTOP News


Days after Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court as part of their ongoing redistricting battle, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she’s focused on the fall midterm elections and ensuring voters are motivated to turn out.

Days after Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court as part of their ongoing redistricting battle, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she’s focused on the fall midterm elections and ensuring voters are motivated to turn out.

After a bill signing at Inova Schar Cancer Institute on Wednesday, Spanberger made her most extensive public comments about the state’s redistricting plan. She cited the state’s May 12 deadline for any map changes, and said as a result, this year’s elections will proceed under the current map.

Spanberger’s remarks came a few days after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the Democrat-led redistricting push. Primaries in the state are scheduled for Aug. 4, with the November general election to follow.

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“What needs to happen is we need to focus on the task at hand, which is winning races in November,” Spanberger said.

“I believe, somewhat doggedly, that we will win two to four seats in the House of Representatives. … That is my goal. That is what I know is possible.”

The map Democrats proposed, experts said, could have resulted in a 10-1 Democratic majority representing Virginia in the U.S. House. But Republicans challenged the process Democrats in the General Assembly used to put the constitutional amendment before voters.

In a 4-3 opinion issued Friday morning, Virginia’s Supreme Court sided with the Republican challengers.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave Republicans until Thursday evening to respond to Democrats’ request for the emergency appeal.

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Spanberger defended the process the General Assembly used, adding: “I think I certainly would have wanted to, and did want to, see a different outcome with the Supreme Court ruling.”

Over three million people participated in the rare April special election, and Spanberger said she’s concerned those voters “have had the experience of casting a ballot in an election that was very important to them, including those on both sides of the referendum vote, only to have it be overturned, essentially, by the Supreme Court of Virginia.”

Elected officials, she said, will have to work to ensure “that people know that their votes do matter, and that when it comes to the ballot they’re going to cast — whether it’s for a primary over the summer or for the general election into the fall — that they shouldn’t feel depleted or defeated, that their votes matter.”

Spanberger called the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court “important, but when it comes to the execution of elections, no matter the outcome in that case, we will be running our elections beginning next month with early voting on the current maps that we have.”

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